Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

Ofrepentance. 93 therigbteeru,btst,&need torepentance: not eueryfinner;but that [inner whichcbndemrieth fi n inhimfelfe,and is weary & laden withhis fins. Mat.' t.aS.Mat. z 1.3z. our Sauienr. Chrift preferred] the harlots &Publicans beforethe Pharifecs:for they being prickedfor their fins andconuibted,did forrow,and heard johnpreaching unto them: 59 then Chrifl giuetlrre- lief to thofe that want, righteoufneflèto them that feele themfelues (inners, cafeto them which are bnrthened,light to them winch are indarkenes,life to them whicharedead, ánd faluation co them which condemnethemfelues.The Apoale declared], i.Cer.t4. hôtythe Corinthians weremoved withorange tongues:butyet hadnot in admiration: tine Word: Befides,heChewed] by comparing the gift oftonguesand prophecying together,that ifan Infidel or vnlearned man fir maid come,andheare them fpeake with ftraurge tongues,: he would fay,they wereout of theirwits:but if heitnouldheare them fpeake the wordofGod 7! epooh of plainly,he wouldbe rebuked ofall men and judgedof allmen ,and fo the fecret ofhis heart theplaneand ihould be nade manifcft,hewouldfal down onhis faceand worØip God and fay plainlyi ióech¡ Ingo 'ben her feeleth his fins, they rite mineheart,they thew my fecret fnnes, doubtlessthis is r,ai. Gods doing,God is in the,Iwil follow thisreligion.Whercfore in this appeareth the pow- TICpowerof er oftheword,in that it citeth& ftumnonedr ourconfciencesbefore thetribunal of God, the wwd. and woundethvs witha liuely feelingof Gods iudgement,that he,whobefarethrough fe- curitie diddefpife found docîrine, may now be coot-trained togive theglorie voto God. Thisappeareth more plainly, Heb.4. tz. where it is faid,thatthe wordofGod is liuély,mi,h- HcU4.x . tyinoperatian,andJharper thenany twoedgedfword,anditpierceththrough,ç1 fearcheth,rhe*of ferretchamberrofthefaule,anddeuideththoughtfrom thouóht: and thenall our hohnes(hall feemehypocrifie,al our rightcoufnesflral feeme as a defiled cloth:we fhallfinde with Paul; that invs,that is,inour flefh,dwelleth no righteonfnes.Formens eonfcieucesare cold, nei- thev-oord tileraretheytouched anddrlpleafed with their curls, fo longas they be in ignorance: but wir tPierae vs; whenthe word of God pearceth into thevctermolt corners of their confciences, and tel- leth drenr.,thatthey haue todoe with the Lord; they are thoroughly touched and begin to feare, and entering into themfeluesexamining their confcience, they cometotheknow- ledgeof that, winch before they liad forgotten. Wc canneuer be offeredro Godwithout luisfpirit, Iohn t6.verfS. For hereprseuerh thewandoffleuras, andaivaketh ourconferences, Io11.16.8. that aloft, finnes, which before werehid,Iltould be mademanifefl. Deuid did lie an whole yeerewithout thispricke ofconfcience,and thoughtthat al was well, vntillNathan came, s.Sam. ts. neither did he finde comfort of cootden te, vntillhe had thus been pricked. Iófepho bre- threewere thirteene yceres, and neuer remembred theirfumes, vntillafter fuck time the Lordlard it before them. TheProphetDauid, Pfahn.3z. (winch heintituled a Plahneof inP.ructionconcerning the free remillion of fnnes) teacheth howwe !hall findethefame. For manyperfeadethemfelues, thattheir fnnes are forgiuen, when they benot. He alfo fheweth, that vntill troubleof anode diddrivehim to particularizeand confefíe his Ipe- ciallfnunes toGod, hefound nocomfort. Manafrwhich didrate thebread offorrow, and diddrinke the water ofgriefe, vntill he lead lamented and furrowed, felt no relt nor peace. The woman of Samaria, Iobn.4. was pleafant,and idledwith our Sauiour Ghrilt, vntill her Ganes were opened, and thenfhr began to anfwere with moreiieuerence. For vntill tae was willed tocall her husband, the thought all was fafe : butafterhehad tolde her,that the had plaid the adultereffe, the acknowledged him that he was a Prophet. Whereforewe may fee by this which hash beenfpoken,tlratthe wordof Godonely prick- eth our confciences, as plainly mayhere appeare by theIewes, whó cared not forthe A- potles,normade any c onfcience,vntili their hearts werepricked. In the fecund placewe mutt note, that theywere rightly pricked. For many oftentimes arepricked, which kickeagainit the pricke,and hailingtheir conferencesgalled by the word,thcy nuumure eitheragaint the preacher of theword, or againit the word it felfe. Here then is the difference betweenc tiregodly arid tirewicked, tire one is pricked and is Signetefgedl made more careful!is a godly confciencc ; theother more hardenedthen before. But thisfo'ro" is a godly furrow, when wee lonethe man that eebuketir vs, and reuerencethe word the inure being by it reprooued in our confcieuce. Doe wee loue him then that rchukethvs? thenweleareprofitably. Let vs examine our felues in this fort :11ccGod irathwounded ure

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